Read about how the coronavirus disproportionately impacts communities of color, what Noah Centineo and Lana Condor are doing about mental health, and why you should care about Earth Day during a global pandemic.

Hey News-Changers! Jackie here with The Breakdown. I’m still coming at you from my good old home state of Arkansas, which means I’ve gotten plenty of time to catch up on the news going on here. My favorite bit of local current events: Jerry the Bulldog (Arkansas Tech University’s mascot) had a very important Zoom meeting with some other campus pups.

In other news, keep scrolling to read about how the coronavirus disproportionately impacts communities of color, what Noah Centineo and Lana Condor are doing about mental health, and why you should care about Earth Day during a global pandemic.

According to the US surgeon general, Americans of color are more likely to face both medical and social challenges that make staying healthy harder. He noted that these individuals are more likely to live in densely packed areas, have
multigenerational households, take public transit, work essential jobs, and have less access to medical care. Dr. Anthony Fauci, infectious disease expert and member of the White House coronavirus task force, explained that the numbers reflect a larger issue of general health disparity among minority populations in the US.

Take Action: On April 22, BET, in partnership with the NAACP and United Way Worldwide, will be hosting a special broadcast, “Saving Our Selves: A BET COVID-19 Relief Effort,” and proceeds will be donated to Black communities severely impacted by COVID-19.

“Wanna Talk About It?”: Netflix Stars Are Promoting Mental Health During the Pandemic

Netflix is launching “Wanna Talk About It?,” a mental health-focused Instagram Live series featuring some of the stars of their original shows and films.

Among them are Noah Centineo and Lana Condor from “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before,” Joey King from “13 Reasons Why,” and Jerry Harris from “Cheer.” They’ll discuss the challenges of taking care of your mental health during a global pandemic with experts from organizations like the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), The Trevor Project, and Crisis Text Line.

The videos will cover common problems like trouble sleeping, staying connected while physical distancing, and managing coronavirus-related anxiety. The series is running every Thursday at 7 p.m. EST on Netflix’s Instagram page.

The pandemic is taking its toll on the nation’s mental health, and this series comes at a time when nearly 50% of Americans are feeling a significant
mental and emotional impact.

(If you’re feeling especially anxious or stressed out by what’s happening, you can access 24/7 support through the Crisis Text Line.)

Take Action: Read and share these tips for practicing self-care while physical distancing.

The group was started by salon owner Huy Nguyen after he temporarily closed his business and donated all the equipment he had left in his inventory. Nguyen and dozens of other salon owners in Mobile, Alabama donated a total of 134,000 gloves and 23,000 masks to their local hospital. Now they’re
calling on Vietnamese-owned salons nationwide to do the same.

One Tennessee nail salon has even converted their business into a small factory, sewing gowns and masks for local health care providers. Former nail salon customers helped fund sewing machines and materials to keep the operation going.

Even as concerns over medical supplies rise, more and more businesses (many of them minority-owned) are stepping up to fill the gaps -- from fashion designers to footwear companies.

I’m obsessed with… the videos from musician/YouTuber Blanks where he remakes popular songs in an hour. I’ve been binge-watching them, and I think my favorite is his latest one remaking “Blinding Lights” by The Weeknd.